1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to barricades, and particularly to a portable barricade for use in school crossings and similar locations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A problem generally encountered around the country is the provision of warning devices at school crossings, and particularly at school crossings which impose exceptional risks to the children. Further, many schools across the country are on double sessions where one group of children goes to school in the morning and another group in the afternoon. The morning children sometimes go to school in the dark and the afternoon children often go home in the dark. This situation makes school crossings more dangerous than ever. Accordingly, it has become common in many locations to install permanent flashing lights at such crossings. These flashing lights, however, are very expensive and have the distinct disadvantage of being fairly permanent in nature. If the hazard was decreased due to termination of double sessions or by lessening of traffic at the particular crossing due to closing of the street, making the street one way, or re-routing of the bulk of the traffic, the lights become unnecessary and must either be operated at unnecessary expense, removed at considerable expense, or maintained idle with the result that expensive equipment is tied up where it is not needed.
It is known generally to provide portable harzard warning barricades. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,798,548, issued Mar. 31, 1931 to S. M. McCurdy; 3,380,429, issued Apr. 30, 1968 to F. A. Moinicken et al; and 3,490,749, issued Jan. 20, 1970 to C. F. Anderson. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,820, issued Dec. 9, 1969 to J. A. Angello, discloses a travelling barricade provided with a pair of carriages in order to facilitate movement of the warning device.